


Murder on Air Temple Island

by Ginozaa



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Canon, F/M, Infidelity, Murder Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-04-14 00:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4543563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginozaa/pseuds/Ginozaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the body of an Air Acolyte is found, engraved with a personal threat against Tenzin's family, the rush is on to discover who the new enemy is. It's inevitable that an old attraction is rekindled as Lin and Tenzin are forced into working together, but can they overcome their history, choices, and Tenzin's commitments to find a happy ending? Can they even survive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, new story from me. This is a murder mystery/romance between Lin and Tenzin, set a few weeks after the events of Season 1. I'll probably change the rating to M later on, but if people would like me to mark out when the Mature scenes are in later chapters, just drop me a review or a private message so I know before it gets to that point.
> 
> So, I'm really enjoying this idea and I hope it's enjoyable too. Lin and Tenzin are by far my favourite pairing and I hope I can do them justice!
> 
> The first chapter is pretty short, but the rest will definitely be much longer; probably around triple the size. So don't let the length put you off!

# Murder on Air Temple Island

# 

_Chapter One:_

The slabs were a deep red, brown in some places, where they’d always been a scrubbed white. Lin had seen many a dead body, but this one made her especially sick to the stomach. Her face was a professional mask of indifference, but the entire scene sat very wrong with her.

Lin had seen a lot of things, but this wasn’t just a murder. 

He was an air acolyte, barely a man, and one Lin recognised, even though her time on the island was particularly limited. No doubt Tenzin knew all the details of his life; he was good with people like that. He took a genuine interest in everyone who came to learn his discipline. 

Lin had only looked at Tenzin once since appearing on the scene, and his gaze had been unwavering; staring at the young boy as if it could bring him back. He was too distracted even to notice his children watching the scene in their own horror. 

Jinora had been more alert, shielding Ikki and Meelo’s eyes and dragging them back inside. Pema had looked tempted to join them, but remained curled into Tenzin’s side.

Lin tried to ignore the familiar family and stick to doing her job. She bent down, getting closer to the man’s open throat. “Earth bender,” she informed Tenzin, who was stood with an arm wrapped around his wife’s shoulders. He’d already know this, but following a routine worked best in these situations. She shifted her feet and summoned a disk with jagged teeth, moving it over to the body in a slicing motion. “Like this.” 

Tenzin nodded, his own face stony. He’d been the one to ring her, saying nothing more than that there’d been a murder. This wasn’t what she’d been expecting at all. 

Murders were gang-related, the majority of the time, but Lin knew the gangs of republic city inside and out and this wasn’t their work. 

Because the gruesome cause of death wasn’t even the worst part. There were letters scratched into the man’s chest, in a jagged handwriting. They’d been done with earth bending, too, and Lin didn’t want to know what kind of person had the composure for this. 

The man had been alive when he’d been branded, and killed afterwards. 

**This whole island will die.**

Lin swallowed and for the second time met Tenzin’s gaze, just as hesitantly. Lin didn’t want to accept that he was in direct danger, but the evidence was right there in front of her. “You can’t stay on the Island.” The routine kicked in once more; the police had suggestions for this kind of situation, even if they were rarely used. This one was common sense: he was in danger, his wife was in danger and his children were in danger. 

He shook his head once. “This is my home and I won’t be scared off it. The air acolytes can leave, should leave, but I will stay. I can protect my family.” 

Lin narrowed her eyes, teeth already grinding. “You cannot stay on this island, Tenzin.” 

Lin didn’t know who would want to hurt Tenzin – he was widely respected, always fair, he had a good nature. The only enemies he’d made were the council members that disagreed with him, but that had only ever been mild dislike. 

This was going to be a difficult case and a personal case. 

Tenzin and his wife shared a determined look and Lin knew she had lost. She threw her hands up, scowl becoming ever more prominent. She was the chief of police, not them, and she knew what she was talking about. Tenzin was being an idiot and he was putting his family in danger. 

“Whatever, it’s your choice. Just know I’m strongly advising against it.” And she wasn’t going to attempt to make conversation with him again. She’d do her job, and that was all, trying desperately to ignore the worry that would flood her every night. 

Lin couldn’t tell Tenzin what to do anymore, even in a professional capacity. He wouldn’t listen to her. 

She just wanted to do her job and stay out of the personal side of things. Getting caught up in emotions was never the right thing when it came to police work and if there’d been anyone else, she would have re-assigned the case. 

At least, that’s what Lin told herself, as if she could abandon a case where Tenzin was in mortal danger. 

She bent down by the side of the body and gestured for the photographer to come forwards. “I want you to get this from every angle, especially the writing,” Lin avoided touching before the photos had been taken. Her skin crawled, but her face remained composed. 

It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, was her mantra, even as thoughts of Tenzin lying in this man’s place addled her brain.

This was Lin’s job and she was good at it, but if she failed to protect Tenzin then she’d never forgive herself. 

Lin couldn’t be bothered to sit and watch Tenzin be stubborn; it was more that than having to observe the intimate way he and his wife were communicating, she told herself. 

The best thing she could do was go and try and find this maniac.


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter Two_

The air was stuffy and damp. Lin coughed for the thousandth time, before realising she’d ran out of water. A day in the archives was never entertaining, but today had been especially bad. She’d come up with absolutely nothing. 

Zilch. 

Everyone else had gone home by now, so at least the room was cooling down, but tiredness was beginning to take hold. Eyes were drooping and her mind was wandering. She wasn’t even sure what she was looking for anymore, just dragging her eyes over words and barely reading them. 

There was unlikely to be anything relevant in this book written three-hundred years ago, or the scrolls detailing bending movements, but Lin had to try. So far they were without any leads and her frustration was growing. 

Someone would die again, and soon, if they didn’t make any progress. 

And there was a chance it would be Tenzin.

Lin slammed shut the tome and coughed once more from the dust in her face; a harsh hacking sound that gave away just how long she’d already spent in the basement room. This book was a big waste of time and the language was hard going. Some scrolls would be better for this time of night. 

“Oh,” Tenzin cleared his throat when opening the door revealed Lin still hunched over the table. “I didn’t realise you’d be here, I’m sorry.” 

Tenzin had been absent all day, choosing to start preparing his own defences on the island rather than giving up his home to actually help find some answers and protect his family. He’d requested a few police officers and Lin had been forced to oblige. As much as his response had irritated her, she really didn’t want him to get hurt. 

“You can help. God knows I need it. I’ve come up with nothing so far.” Lin kicked the chair beside her. “I’d recommend something that isn’t horribly boring at this hour.” 

Tenzin nodded once, grabbing a book and sitting down. 

“We’ve already looked at that one,” Lin muttered, running her finger against the old scroll. They were familiar movements, ones her own mother had taught her. “Start at the top of the third bookshelf.” 

Tenzin t’ched, standing back up and going where Lin had suggested. “You could have just told me that when I’d first come in.”

The corner of Lin’s mouth twitched. Some things never got old. “I suppose I could.” 

It should have been a comfortable silence, just two people lost in trying to solve a problem that would save people’s lives. That wasn’t the case, at least for Lin. She hadn’t spoken to Tenzin since her bending had been restored in the South Pole and Lin almost felt embarrassed that she’d lived through what she’d done. Of course Tenzin knew she cared, even if she did her best not to show it, but Lin hadn’t intended to really show it that clearly. 

As always, Tenzin had occupied her thoughts, but Lin was used to it by now. There hadn’t been a day since they’d met that she hadn’t thought about him. 

“How are the preparations on the island?” Lin couldn’t concentrate anymore on the reading, it had been a solid ten hours of fruitless labour. “I trust my officers were of use.” 

Tenzin nodded, almost absentmindedly. His head was in the book and he no doubt had no time for Lin’s poor attempt at conversation. “They were helpful, thank you. I appreciate your support.” 

Support was pushing it. Lin still thought he was being a moron and Tenzin knew that. He should have also known to trust her on something like this. 

They went back to their reading, dull frowns on both faces. “Do you really not have any idea who might want to hurt you? Your family? There must be something.” 

Tenzin massaged his brow. There wasn’t a single thing he’d thought of, and it wasn’t that he hadn’t racked his brains. “The equalists are dead and they’re the only enemies I’ve ever had. It must be something against airbenders. That’s the only explanation.” 

It was the conclusion she’d found, too, but the only known air bender hating group was based in the fire nation and they’d been underground for nearly thirty years now. 

Lin was working off nothing and it made the entire thing even more stressful. 

“That’s what I figured, too. I’ve found nothing, by the way. None of us have and we’ve been at it all day. This whole thing is bizarre.” 

Tenzin leant backwards and the bags under his eyes were obvious. No doubt he hadn’t slept a wink last night – Lin knew she hadn’t. “Well, I hope we can figure it out soon.” 

Tenzin wasn’t the kind of person to admit that he was scared – neither of them were – but it was understood both people in the room were terrified. “We will do.” 

Lin felt inherently awkward, when there was no reason she should have done. They’d established a friendship, or at least an amnesty, and they’d kept it perfectly amicable. Lin just felt odd around him and she hoped one day it would go away. In a situation this tense, their previous relationship shouldn’t even be anywhere near the front of her mind. 

They could be friends, as they had once been, eventually. 

Or they could just be nothing, once this mess was over. If they even survived. 

Lin went back to her pile of scrolls, narrowing her eyes. These were manoeuvres she wasn’t familiar with and Lin had spent much of her teenage years reading scrolls like these and then explaining the movements to her mother. 

They weren’t fighting movement, exactly, but scrolls for an ancient tattooing ritual from the tribes before Ba Sing Se’s wall had been built. 

The style of the writing, whilst not identical, was similar enough to the text on the air acolyte’s body to give Lin pause. “Here, look at this.” 

Tenzin leant over and Lin was given a whiff of the familiar cologne. It was one she’d bought him, as an anniversary present, and he apparently continued to buy it now. She blinked once, but otherwise ignored the familiar smell and pointed at the scroll. “Look similar?” 

Tenzin was even closer as he studied the scroll himself, defined brow narrowing. “It does look similar.” 

Lin pulled away, grateful for an excuse as she grabbed the newly developed photos. Side-by-side, they looked ever more alike than Lin had thought. “We need to find everything we can related to this scroll.” 

It was almost an excitement that coloured the air. Breakthroughs were one of the things that kept Lin’s jobs lively; one of the reasons she’d never gotten bored, but when it was someone too close to home it was less of an impact. 

Until this case was solved, Lin doubted she’d recover much sleep over a minor breakthrough. 

Still, the relief was evident and she scoured bookshelves for anything relating to the olden days of Ba Sing Se. 

Their resources were limited: books had been burned and lost, or stored in places unavailable to Lin at the present time. Anything from that long ago was normally damaged, too, and incredibly difficult to decipher. They were lucky the language hadn’t changed significantly in the past few centuries. 

Lin managed to pull two relevant books from the shelves. 

One each, she supposed. 

Lin explained what the scroll had told her whilst they started on their respective tomes. “Not a lot of information, but at least we’ve got a location and a time period to be going at.” 

“It was a good find.” 

Their conversation tapered once more and Lin’s awkwardness reigned supreme. She hated it, above all. One time, it would have been impossible even to consider an uncomfortable silence falling between the pair, but now even being in the same room was painful in one way or another. 

Even if they could manage politeness, Lin was left either feeling lonely or angry and neither represented a good working relationship. It was worse knowing that Tenzin was completely unaffected. Lin was the chief of police, helping him out with something tragic; an old friend, perhaps. She was the only one who felt any grief at the situation. 

“Why are you insisting on staying on that stupid island?” Lin already knew the reason. It was all about protecting his father’s legacy, about his pride as an airbender, but she needed to get it through his thick skull that his safety was more important than that. “You’ll get killed.” 

Tenzin huffed. He didn’t want to have this conversation with her, but Lin was far more stubborn than him and so it was inevitable. She was going to push this until they’d properly fallen out and Tenzin would have much rather just stuck his head in the book and tried to solve the problem. He wouldn’t have even come to the station if he thought Lin would still be here, but as soon as he’d laid eyes on her he realised he was a fool to think she’d have gone home on time without any progress. 

Unwanted feelings were stirred whenever he faced Lin in a battle of wills. 

“It is my home and I can protect it. I won’t give in to threats. I won’t let them think they’ve won.” He said it with an empty tone that only riled Lin further. 

He was so utterly indifferent towards her and it stung. 

“So you’re going to risk your children’s lives because of your pride?” She stared him down, even if Tenzin was unwilling to bring his head from the book. “Your wife?”

“You think I’m not strong enough to stop someone? You don’t think I can protect my family?” Tenzin responded with the fiercest of grimaces, slamming his book shut. There wouldn’t be any more reading tonight. 

Lin bristled, fists clenching beneath the table. “I don’t see why you’d ever take the risk. You have a new born baby. Your wife can’t bend. Just get off that stupid island and accept my protection. Your pride isn’t worth it.” 

Tenzin stood up, his chair screeching. It echoed around the tiny room and Lin felt the temperature beginning to the rise once more. “I can look after myself, my heritage, and my family. You stick to doing your job and I’ll do mine.” 

He tried to storm out of the room, but Lin had sent her metal chain flying and it wrapped around his wrist easily. A breeze filled the room and the bottom of Tenzin’s robes began to ruffle. It almost blew the clips out of Lin’s hair. “Tenzin. You’re being a fool. Please just get off the island.” The hint of desperation was barely noticeable in Lin’s voice, but of course Tenzin recognised it. 

His face softened, ever so slightly, but he still shook his head. “I won’t, I’m sorry. I have to protect that island, just as much as I have to protect everything else. I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be perfectly fine.” 

Lin’s chain softened and Tenzin slipped away, closing the door softly behind him. 

Lin slumped back into her chair with a heavy heart. Admitting that she cared enough to want him safe hadn’t been worth it at all. It wasn’t that Tenzin didn’t already know – she’d thrown herself of his stupid sky bison, for goodness sake – but admitting it seemed almost shameful.

Still, Tenzin had told her to do her job, so that’s what she’d stick to. Finding the murderer before he had chance to target Tenzin again seemed like it was the only option.


	3. Chapter Three

# 

Chapter Three

The man who burst through the door without knocking wasn’t what Lin had expected at all. She’d thought being an expert on old Earth Kingdom tribes meant studious and calm, not overly confident and stylish. “Lao Ti, your requested expert.” He stuck out a hand and Lin took it, already having to hold back a grimace. 

It was his clothes that gave him away as someone who was going to get in her way. Standard enough in design, with tight trousers and a stitched, loose top with high-rise collar, the material screamed opulence. A light green embroidered with dark green designs that must have taken hours. Lin was unsure what to think of the whole thing. She’d understood he was working at the university, and hadn’t assumed wealth at all.

“Thank you for coming at such short notice,” she retook her seat behind her desk and handed over multiple documents, including the pictures of the murders. “You ever done something like this before?” 

Lin didn’t like dealing with novices and she was positive the man standing before her right now had never seen a dead body before. He stared with wide eyes, running a hand through floppy brown hair and her tired mind wasn’t ready for that so early in the morning. She’d stayed up late into the night scouring books that turned out to be fruitless. 

“I haven’t done something like this before, but if you’re only needing me for the information, I’ll still be plenty useful.” 

Lin nodded once. “Well, good. I’m sure it’ll work out fine, then.” 

Lao brought a chair opposite her desk and sat down gracefully, folding his arms and gazing with emerald green eyes. “Where did you want to start?” 

She was finding it hard to place his age. His hair was a dark brown without any grey, but his face wasn’t free of wrinkles. She hoped he was as knowledgeable as he claimed. 

“With this scroll,” she handed him the original clue. “Do you know anything about these people?” 

The books she’d accessed had been fruitless. They focused on the royal and the opulent, not a small tribe who’d liked to tattoo with their earthbending. Lin had been forced to call the University of Ba Sing Se and request an expert, it was the only way she was going to get anywhere in this case. 

“I know them. The beginnings of the Dai Li.” 

Lin blinked. How had she not figured that out? All the stories her mother had told her about the Dai Li and her struggles against them and nothing had even come to mind. “Really?” 

“Sure,” his fingers brushed against the scroll with light touches. “They’re relatively unknown at this point, just a small group with their own ideas and customs. They don’t get big until the royalty faces its first threat and that’s still a century away.” 

Lin now had a completely new area to start researching, one that was going to give her lots of results. Mako and the rest of the team were going to be thrilled when she said they were going back into that stuffy room for the next few days. 

“That’s great,” Lin had already stood up from her seat and picked a book off her own shelf. It was one her parents had bought her about the history of the Dai Li. Toph had always had a strong interest in the earthbending heritage. Lin retook her seat and began to flick. “Do you have anything else right now?” She passed over the photos without looking up from the pages of her book, but frowned slightly when Lao’s fingers brushed against her own. “This is the victim.”

She glanced up to check his expression and wasn’t surprised by the near horror covering his face. He didn’t put them back down, or request to take a break, though. He reigned in his expression, until there was only concentration. “It’s similar. Likely just evolved in the way things do over time. I definitely thing we’re looking at something Dai Li related.” 

Lin nodded once. “Thank you. It’s good to feel like we’re getting somewhere.” Her head was back to being buried in the book and it would stay that way for most of the day. “You can go and check the archives for something relevant, if you want, or just make notes on relevant information you already know.” 

“I brought a few things with me, but I’ll need to bring them from the apartment I’m staying in.” 

“You got an apartment rather than a hotel?” Lin queried without looking up. That seemed a bit extravagant. She was hoping this would take less than a few days and she’d given the man the police department’s funding for his stay. She definitely hadn’t okay’d setting him up for as long as a month. 

Lao still hadn’t put down the pictures of the victim, but he answered with a perfectly straight voice. “I figured that whilst I was in the city, I might stay a while. I used my own money, don’t worry.” 

Lin resisted the urge to blush. She hadn’t meant it to be that obvious what was on her mind. “Well then I hope you enjoy your stay. I can get officers to help you bring things into the station.” 

“Thank you.” 

She was wishing he’d just leave, now. Lin had a lead and she wanted to follow it until the bitter end in private, without having to deal with mindless conversation. Lao could go and write down what he knew and she could read it, in private, later and work things out. He was loitering. 

“So, Lin, you’ve lived in the city your whole life?” 

“No. I was in the Earth Kingdom when I was a baby and I’ve spent years at the South Pole and in the Air Temples.” She was being pedantic and hoping it put him off. She’d spent ninety-five percent of her life in Republic City and couldn’t even remember living in the Earth Kingdom. 

Lao didn’t react like she’d hoped. “But you know good places to see around the city?” 

The most beautiful place in the city was Air Temple Island, but she was unwilling to admit it. “I can’t say I do a lot of sight-seeing. Try the tourist information bureau.” Lin wasn’t even sure why he was asking her, did he really have no common sense? 

Lao watched her with an almost blank expression. Was she serious, or was she just playing with him? There was no playfulness on her face, it was all concentration. Maybe she just hadn’t really been taking in what he’d been saying. Straightening his jacket, Lao figured he’d be more obvious. 

He was interested in Lin Beifong and it had only taken twenty minutes in her company to realise it. 

“I was hoping we could get dinner together.” 

Lin blinked, looking up and frowning slightly at the man opposite her. Well, she definitely hadn’t been expecting that. It was almost embarrassing how long it took her to come up with a decent excuse. “I’m sorry, I really have to stay at the station and get this research done. People’s lives are on the line.”

She hadn’t even meant it to come out bitter, but Lao looked positively shut down and that had been the plan, really. 

Lin sighed and returned to the pages. “Sorry.” Lao seemed like a nice enough guy and he was attractive enough, but now definitely wasn’t the time. Lin wouldn’t know how to go on a date anymore, anyway. Saying no was the easy answer. “Now’s just really not the time.” 

“It’s okay, I understand. I’m going to be around for a while after the case, anyway,” he managed a large grin that gave away a few wrinkles on his face. Maybe he was closer to Lin’s age than she thought. Either way, he was probably too young. “So hopefully we can catch up at a later date.” 

Lin didn’t even know if she was going to survive that long if the people she was fighting against were as organised as the Dai Li. She was going to be in the middle of the action with something like this and she was a high-priority target, more than likely. 

Survival was never guaranteed.


End file.
